SCREAM QUEENS: 01×04, HAUNTED HOUSE (RECAP & REVIEW)

Halloween has come early courtesy of Scream Queens! This week’s episode begins one of three Halloween themed installments to the comedy/horror series, and what better way to begin October than a dosage of Chanel-O-Ween! The opening of the episode spoofs Taylor Swift’s fan giveaway, with Chanel selecting random fans from her Instagram (of 752 to be specific). The Chanel devotees would then discover Halloween themed presents with notes thanking them for their Chanel based love…but taking the time to insult their “mediocrity” in the process like only Chanel Oberlin can do. “Chanel-O-Ween is the one time of year I can give these precious donkeys something to look forward to!” Chanel best sums up her idea of her own personal holiday while gifting a box of blood, rotting jack-o-lanterns, severed heads, and much more! I wouldn’t even mind being on the list for the gifting – but next year perhaps?

When we pick up after the Red Devil’s attack on Gigi, the detective finds that Dean Munsch isn’t guilty (and the improbability she states is all valid). Denise Hempville bursts into the sorority house and tells that officers and others that the Red Devil also attacked a fraternity guy (RIP to his arms!) and boasts that she is finally ahead of the police for the time being, Denise might be my favorite non-police/police-ish character on television right now. Grace and Pete pursue their lead on the former Kappa with involvement in the death 20 years ago, and she quickly assumes they are looking for answers – that makes things easier! The ex-kappa, Mandy, offers them a road kill meal in her rundown trailer before explaining that Dean Munsch led the charge to hide the dead girls body. To keep her job, she has the girls bury the body (while one stayed behind with the baby…) and the girls all either moved, died, were locked in a mental institution, or became a successful Fox News anchor. The last tidbit of information she offers is the confirmation that the mystery Kappa baby was most definitely a baby girl (run rampant with speculation!)

Zayday meets with Dollar Scholar frat boy Earl Grey, and he shares his support of Zayday running for president of Kappa house. He hopes that the two of them could be utilized to change peoples’ perceptions of sororities/ fraternities, and he agrees to help with a fundraiser to fund research on sickle cell anemia. I’m so glad to see these two team up, I’m all for this new development! The news isn’t well received by the current Kappa president Chanel when the girls gather to carve pumpkins for Chanel’s fans (carvings include Chad Radwell and hurricane Andrew). Zayday makes the announcement by sharing her decision with her plans for a haunted house to spread the word alongside her charitable cause. When Chanel steps up to Zayday to intimidate her, Zayday reminds Chanel that she knows her involvement in Ms. Bean’s death so tension is left between the two who both have their own plans for Kappa. The Chanel minions realize the severity of the situation and enter Chanel’s extensive wardrobe to find the Kappa president sharpening massive knives, and they state their concerned for her mental health. (Emma Roberts is literally a queen in this series.) Chanel hits her breaking point and storms through the room, waving around her knives and spewing animosity over the competition – and how it could affect Chanel’s life moving forward. #5 comes up with the idea to create an event of her own, and after a few moments of hilariously brainstorming different charities to sponsor, they decide on a haunted pumpkin patch to raise money for black hairy tongue. A job well done team Chanel.

Mandy the ex-kappa informant sits alone in her trailer and is startled by a knocking sound against the wall. She checks the front door to an empty lot of darkness, and locks it while arming herself with a baseball bat. The noises continue to surround her with the killer creating a game out of the pursuit, but before she can realize it, one of the killers is already inside and attacks the woman. Definitely not looking so great for Mandy, but she’ll be remembered as a Kappa! Chad is found wandering an eerie cemetery and discovers a gravesite that he finds arousing. Hester somehow tracks him down, only to begin sharing her joint love of death. “The only time I feel anything is when I’m thinking about chopping up a body!” Chad expresses with a casual attitude. Hester seizes the moment and tells Chad she wants him (along with everything Chanel has) and that when Zayday wins president of Kappa things could take a turn, “When Zayday just happens to fall down a flight of steps or drown in a retention pond, then you will once again be porking Kappa’s top bitch – and this bitch puts out.” Hester has really grown into a comfortable persona with a building thirst for power… so this Chad and Hester chemistry is a surprisingly reasonable pairing. Or maybe I’m just slightly crazy.

Wes wraps up one of his film classes with a spooky monologue on horror films as a whole, and Grace anxiously waits until the students clear out to confront her father. Grace wants answers on her mother, not having much knowledge on her life, and she doesn’t believe him anymore. She tearfully asks if she could be the baby from the dead Kappa and he reiterates it’s impossible. Grace begins to exit the class still feeling angry while stating that she will continue to seek answers, and she won’t speak to him again if he’s hiding the truth from her. Obviously there’s more to the story, but is Grace the Kappa baby – I still don’t quite think she is. Grace meets up with Pete at an abandoned home, and they both run into Zayday and Earl Grey who are mapping out the location for her haunted house. Denise also makes an appearance and she and Pete begin to alternate sharing information they had researched. Apparently the location was known for a woman who was heard crying in regards to her dead children, and only a few others actually saw the woman (or “hag”). They also discover that the woman collected creepy dolls from the neighborhood and it began shortly after the 1995 Kappa incident. Zayday hopes to leave the house as-is to intensify the haunted house experience and Denise continues to suggest that Zayday is the killer. Zayday fires back by stating she discovered Denise tried to pledge Kappa (but didn’t get to become a member because of ignorant mean girls) and eventually dropped out. Zayday assumes Denise is envious of Zayday having a less difficult time with Kappa “makes you wanna kill, kill, kill?” she hilariously states to Denise’s equally entertaining reply, “ hope you have a good time at your haunted party and get to murder lots of folks.”

Chanel takes the initiative to maintain her Kappa throne and passes out flyers to frighten students, “I have it on good authority that the Red Devils gonna kill someone in Zayday’s house, don’t let it be you.” She admits to the Chanels that she doesn’t actually know, but this event is practically begging for a few victims (so true). OG Chanel enlists the help of her Chanel posse to crush Zayday’s chances at president (and spirit) and sit down for a lunch of delicious cotton balls with dipping sauce to avoid a blockage in their intestinal tract. Chanel discusses the gender roles women are forced to fit a particular body type expectation, and decide screw it – we’re eating pizza. “I may die at the end of a serial killer’s blade but I refuse to die hungry.” Chanel states as one of the best lines of the episode and season so far. The Chanels’ are interrupted by guys making catcalls, and how it’s a compliment, but the Chanels know better and proceed to have a major kick-ass scene jumping the misogynistic men. “Wow…those cotton balls don’t provide a lot of energy.” A winded #3 admits before the room of people cheer for the necessary message of girl-power! I think we can all collectively thank the entire Chanel squad.

Chad follows a mysterious text message with directions to the location of the haunted house (from Hester, the other necrophilia aficionado) and they enter to have a haunted house hookup. Hester disappears and lurks throughout the building to entice him with her odd interests, and she finally decides on a room for them, with what Hester believes to be a wax replica of Ms. Bean. When Hester tries to seductively slide her hand down Ms. Bean, her finger punctures the skin with a disgusting fluid seeping out, and sending Hester and Chad both screaming after finding the remaining bodies. (Not as interested in dead bodies as they thought?) The two sit in a café where they are obviously shaken, “My finger went in her leg.” Hester reminds herself in horror. Chad stands up to warn the room about how they must stay away from the haunted house, and the possibility of seeing victims starts a mass movement of college students to instantly head to the event. A disapproving Chad screams at the thought of the scene again and because of everyone ignoring his warnings. You can’t say they didn’t try at least!

Grace and Zayday arrive to the haunted house to setup, only to find a raging party with people posing alongside the dead bodies assembled by the killer. Zayday panics and calls the police for help, but the dispatcher assumes she’s only afraid of fake haunted house related scares. Before she can persuade him to send help, she is seen by the killer and the hopeful Kappa leader is kidnapped by the Red Devil. Everyone gathers back at the Kappa house and shares their belief of the Red Devil connection to the deceased, but the oblivious police and Munsch dismiss possible connections. When she explains the victims mostly aren’t students, Chanel fake cries to appear distraught over Ms. Bean, and #3 chimes in saying #2 was surely a student, “she was in my art history class. I think.” They are ultimately shot down by authorities, and nobody decides to help Grace begin a search party for Zayday. She admits to Pete that she just discovered news that the rumored “hag” at the house on Shady Lane began her wailing in 1995, and that there were nearby thefts including milk and diapers. They conclude that this woman must have had possession of the Kappa baby, and as the episode ends we see Gigi in a dark robe sitting in the room of dolls and sobbing to herself. Does this confirm that Gigi has involvement in the Kappa child’s life? I’d assume she’s the girl who was holding the baby in the flashback, but it definitely is something we need more answers on, so thank goodness the Halloween episode continues next week!

-This episode brought the laughs we’ve come to expect from Scream Queens but also successfully introduced even more serious elements to add to the series ongoing plot and the balance was marvelous.

-Chanel owned every scene she was in, from her sharpening her knives in mental anguish, threatening her enemies, giving back to her fans, or pretending to have sympathy for the Red Devil’s victims. Emma Roberts takes this role and puts her dynamic depth on the table.

-Hester and Chad make what I would call the perfect relationship for Scream Queens.

– #SaveZayday! We need the entertaining and witty genius to stick around much longer, so please play nice Red Devil!

-The female empowerment message in this episode deserves some major recognition for the inclusion of important societal messages!

-I’d appreciate more Earl Grey in the near future! (Already loving Lucien Laviscount!)